Exercising machine



Oct. 22, 1935. .1. H; ATcHEsoN EXERCISING MACHINE Filed May 25, i954 ssshsm i l'llli ATT NEY Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED Y STATES ExEacIsINc .MACHINE James H. Atcheson, deceased, late of Detroit, Mich., by Louise A. Atcheson, administratrix,

Detroit, Mich.

Application May 25, 1934, Serial No. 727,479

4 cl'ms.

This invention relates to exercising machines and particularly exercising machines of a tread mill type.

An object of the invention is to adapt a machine of the tread mill type to be mounted at selective inclinations, so that the weight of a `person using the machine may serve to a desired extent to induce belt travel of said machine.

Another object is to provide in a simple manner for regulating belt tension in such a machine- A further object is to provide hand rails to steady a user of a tread mill exerciser, and to provide for accommodating said rails to the height of the user.

Still another object is to provide such a machine with an endless belt of improved construction.

These and various other objects the invention attains by the construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved machine, with portions broken away.

Fig. 2 is a view of the machine in side elevation, with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the machine, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sectional views of a socket wherein a hand rail is vertically adjustable.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of a preferred endless belt.

In these views, the reference character I designates a pair of horizontally elongated side boards which are spaced apart by a pair of cross boards 2, substantially equidistant from the ends of the machine. Bridged across said cross boards are a board 3 and a pair of wooden strips 4, spaced from the board, 3, at each side'of the latter, the members 3 and 4 preferably projecting some distance beyond the cross boards. The members I, 2, 3 and 4 form the frame of the machine, said members being rigidly connected by screws, 4a, or other suitable means.

Mounted between each strip 4 and the board 3 is a row of rollers 5, individually journaled on pins 6, jointly carried by the members 3 and 4, said rollers being proportioned to project slightly above said members.

Traveling on said rollers is the top span of an endless belt 1, strongly reinforced by tread members 8 formed by strips of wood or other suitable material extending completely across the belt. Preferably said belt is formed of two thicknesses of canvas or the like, connected at suitable intervals by transverse seams V9, as best appears in Fig. 6, the outer thickness having sucient slack between the seams to form sockets snugly receiving the tread members. 5

The belt is mounted at each end on a pair of pulleys I0, fast upon the end portions of a shaft II, journaled in bearings I2 carried by the side plates. One of said shafts, with its bearings is made adjustable lengthwise of the frame by lo- 10 cating said bearings in slots I3 in the side boards. and attaching said bearings to metal plates I4 bolted exteriorly against the side boards and slotted lengthwise of the latter to accommodate the bolts I5. Thus tension of the belt 1 may be l5 accurately regulated. The rollers 5 extend substantially between the vertical axial planes of the pulleys I0 so that the top span of the belt is firmly supported throughout its extent. The belt and its tread members are held slightly spaced 20 from the side boards by annular flanges I6 on the pulleys III.

A pair of arched hand rails I1 are rigidly secured to the side boards I, so that a person using the machine may grasp same to hold himself 25V steady. The ends of said rails are set into socket members I8 exteriorly secured to said boards, and are preferably adjustable in said socket members to establish the rails at a desired height. Thus the rail end portions may be notched at 30 various heights as indicated at I9, and the socket members may carry plungers 20 which are normally spring-urged to engage certain of said notches, but may be pressed suciently inward to release the hand rails. 35

It is preferred to incline the machine so that the weight of a user will induce travel of the belt, and it is further preferred to render the inclination variable to control the velocity at which the belt tends to travel. Thus one end of the 4.0 frame is provided with a pair of legs 2| which engage in socket members 22 secured exteriorly to the side boards and are notched at 23 to coact with plungers 24 for a vertical adjustment, as described in connection with the hand rails. 45

TheA described machine is particularly suited for childrens use, furnishing both exercise and recreation.

It is a feature of the machine that no spaces are left either between the tread members or 50 between the latter and the frame, sumcient for insertion of a childs finger.

The invention is presented as including all such modifications and changes as come within the scope of the following claims. 55

1. In a tread mill exerciser, a frame comprising a pair of spaced side members, a pair of spaced shafts journaled in said side members, a pair of annularly flanged spaced pulleys mounted on each of said shafts, an endless belt mounted on said pulleys and bridged across each pair thereof, and restrained from lateral shifting by the flanges of said pulleys, and anti-friction means carried by said frame in supporting relation to the top span of said belt.

2. In a tread mill exerciser as set forth in claim 1, a plurality of reinforcing tread members exterlorly carried by said belt and elongated transversely thereof.

3. In a tread mill exerciser, the combination with a frame comprising a pair of spaced side members, a pair of spaced cross members disposed between and rigidly connecting said side members, and a plurality of members bridged between said cross members, of a, pair of parallel shafts mounted in the end portions of said side members, a pair of pulleys mounted on each shaft between the side members of the frame, said cross members being disposed between the two pairs of pulleys, and said bridging members projecting terminally beyond the cross members and between the paired pulleys, a plurality of rows of rollers journaled in and between the bridging members, and an endless belt mounted on said pulleys and bridged across each pair thereof, the 5 upper span of said belt resting on said rollers.

4. In a tread mill exereiser, the combination with a frame comprising a pair of spaced side members and a pair of spaced cross members disposed between and rigidly connecting the side 10 members, of a pair of parallel shafts mounted in the end portions of the side members, pulleys on said shafts between the side members, an endless LOUISE A. .ATCHESON, Administratrz'a: ,for the Estate of James H. 25

Atchesofn, Deceased. 

